


Within His Grasp

by Celandine



Series: Dakin/Irwin [19]
Category: History Boys (2006)
Genre: Drama, Ficlet, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-10
Updated: 2009-03-10
Packaged: 2017-10-12 16:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/127015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dakin analyses why Irwin hates his chair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Within His Grasp

**Author's Note:**

  * For [westernredcedar](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=westernredcedar).



More than once Dakin tried to analyse why Irwin loathed his chair so much.

It was not as though he didn't take advantage of it when he could; having his tea fetched for him by assorted young factotums at the BBC was only the most straightforward of ways he did so. More subtly he had mastered the technique of using the discomfort that others felt around him to get them to say things they might not otherwise have said whilst being interviewed, for instance.

Nor was it as though Irwin had ever been particularly athletic. His slimness back when he had taught at Cutlers was the result of genetic good fortune, not the result of his keeping fit. He had never been the sort who jogged or walked or swam, and certainly not one for any team sport, not even cricket, much less football or -- heaven forbid -- rugby.

Irwin never seemed to Dakin to have the sort of restlessness that he himself sometimes felt, so it didn't seem to be that which bothered Irwin about the wheelchair.

Dakin concluded eventually that it must be simply the limitations of the chair, the problems it posed for complete independence, that Irwin resented most. He could, if he had to, get out of it and walk, but not easily nor for long without pain. In effect he was trapped. When they finally bought a place together, therefore, Dakin had the kitchen and all the bathrooms remodelled so that as little as possible would be out of Irwin's reach from his chair. Dakin knew well enough what it was like to want to have something and be unable to grasp it.

**Author's Note:**

> For westernredcedar who wanted Dakin/Irwin, chair.


End file.
